


the beautiful game

by damapintada



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Football, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Football | Soccer, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining, Rating May Change, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, Zutara Latine Week 2021
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-16
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-17 18:07:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29475939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/damapintada/pseuds/damapintada
Summary: Zuko is dragged to a football game by his coworker Sokka, despite not knowing anything about the sport. While there, he discovers the joys of the game and finds himself entranced by a certain midfielder wearing the number 10.ORA Zutara modern AU where Suki and Katara are professional footballers, based on the prompts of Zutara Latine Week 2021, starting withfútbol.
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 14
Kudos: 84





	the beautiful game

**Author's Note:**

> as ever, a million thank yous to [ajstyling](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ajstyling/pseuds/ajstyling) for the beta! it is so very appreciated. 
> 
> hello friends! happy zutara latine week!
> 
> here's my humble (and incredibly self-indulgent) contribution to celebrate what is probably the most popular sport in latin america: fútbol/futebol/football/soccer. to make my life easier, i have called it football throughout the entire fic (sorry americans.) though i used english terminology since this is a fic written in english, the teams here are actually inspired by the world famous rivalry of argentine clubs river plate and boca juniors, aka el superclásico 🇦🇷. i'm not from argentina, but i love football, and i thought it would be fun to imagine a zutara AU where katara was a football player :) in the real world, supporters would sadly not go this hard for the women's teams, but let's imagine, yes?
> 
> there will be two more parts to this story, based on two other latine week prompts. like the tag says, the rating may go up, but for now, i left it at M to be safe. onto the fic! hope you all enjoy! ❤️

As Zuko squeezed his way past yet another crowd of rowdy supporters blocking the stairs, he regretted, for what must have been the thousandth time, his decision to finally cave and go to a football game with his coworker, Sokka. They had been working together at the same engineering firm for the last two years, and for those two years Sokka had been nagging at him to go. Last week, something in him snapped, and rather than give in to his desire to wrap his hands around Sokka’s neck and shake him until he shut up, he decided to do the alternative, which wouldn’t land him in jail. So far, however, prison was looking more appealing than sitting through this game. 

They made it to their seats, and to Zuko’s surprise, they were down close to the field. With how many people were at the stadium, he didn’t think it would be a possibility.

“These seats are pretty good,” he said to Sokka. Sokka raised an eyebrow at him.

“We’re family, of course they’re good. Actually, we’re supposed to sit up there,” he explained, pointing up towards the executive suites, where people dressed much too formal for a football game sat in plush seats behind a glass partition. “But, the atmosphere is way better down here. Plus we’re close to the supporters end this way.” At this, Sokka tilted his head towards the section of seating behind the goalposts, full of people, decked out in red and white jerseys, waving matching flags, scarves, and inflatables. The stands around them were draped with banners declaring their support of Ba Sing Se. One thing struck Zuko as odd. 

“What’s with the drums?” he asked Sokka. 

“Spirits Zuko, you really don’t know anything about football, do you?” Sokka said, shaking his head. 

“I mean, I’ve been trying to tell you that for months, but you kept insisting on bringing me here. We’ve been through this.” 

“But seriously? Not even during the World Cup?”

“I’ll watch a game or two when it’s on at a bar, I guess…” Zuko trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck. 

Sokka looked unimpressed. “Alright buddy, I’ll just explain as we go along then.” His eyes narrowed. “Do you at least know what team we’re here for?” 

Zuko scoffed. “Ba Sing Se. Clearly.” 

“Yeah, but United or City?” Sokka pressed.

 _Shit, there’s more than one? What the fuck does that even mean?_ He panicked. “Um… City?” he answered, his voice small. 

Sokka let out a groan, shaking his head again, as he sunk back into his seat. He scrubbed a hand down his face. “Zuko, man…” 

“Look, I told you I didn’t give a shit about football! It’s your fault you didn’t believe me!” Zuko yelled, his patience with Sokka running out. 

“Shhhh! Don’t yell that here,” Sokka hissed, looking around to see if anyone heard them. “I thought you were just bullshitting me, dude, I don’t know!” 

“Well, I wasn’t,” Zuko grumbled, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“Alright, alright. Chill out. Okay, so we’re here to watch Ba Sing Se City—”

“The team your girlfriend plays for?” Zuko interrupted. 

“Right, Suki plays for City. They’re playing Ba Sing Se United today, that’s why I brought you to this game, it’s a huge deal, but that’s lost on you, I guess,” Sokka continued with a hint of derisiveness. “They’re city rivals, and they’re both battling for the top of the table this season—”

“Top of the table? ” 

Sokka sighed. “It just means they’re both really close to getting the trophy at the end of the season. Wow dude, do you not know _anything_ about _any_ sports? With how fit you are, I thought you might have.” He eyed Zuko’s biceps pointedly.

Zuko made a choked noise. “Um, I’m not really into team sports. I do judo… and other stuff too, I guess,” he said, shrugging. 

“Do you at least know how they score?” 

“I said I wasn’t into team sports, but I’m not _that_ stupid. I know the basics of how the game works,” Zuko said indignantly.

“Hey, I’m just making sure!” Sokka said, throwing his hands up. 

“What about the drums though?” 

“Oh, you’ll see. Ba Sing Se fans are insane, man. This is one of the most watched games in the entire Earth Kingdom, people take it very seriously.” 

Zuko looked around the stadium, which seemed to be completely full, people breaking into impromptu chants and clapping their inflatables together as they waited for kick-off. “I didn’t think that this many people were into women’s football, to be honest…”

Sokka shook his head. “Other women’s teams wouldn’t get as many spectators, but City and United are two of the oldest football clubs in the Earth Kingdom. They were both two of the first to start a women’s team too, so they attract top talent. The trophy pretty much always goes to one of them. It’s similar with the men’s teams too, so things are heated right now.” 

“Huh.” Zuko mulled this over. He knew that football was popular in Ba Sing Se, but he never would have guessed just how much. It was starting to dawn on him that Sokka taking him to this game was more than just an opportunity for him to gloat over his girlfriend. “Can I buy you a beer or something before the game starts? As a thank you.” 

“Nah, don’t bother,” Sokka said, waving him off. 

“No, I insist,” Zuko said, brow furrowing. “It’s the least I could do.” 

“I wouldn’t turn down free beer, but they don’t serve alcohol in the stadium.” 

“Stop lying,” Zuko scoffed. Instead of breaking into a laugh, Sokka remained serious. Zuko paused. “Wait, are you—are you serious?” 

Sokka nodded. “Yeah, they’re not allowed to sell alcohol during football games. It’s the law here, cause of those guys,” he explained, nodding his back towards the fans behind the goal again. “They say the alcohol incites violence or something like that. Haven’t you been living in Ba Sing Se since you were a teenager? You never noticed how the city gets whenever there’s a derby?” 

Zuko rubbed the back of his neck, watching the fans. “I was preoccupied with… other things when I was younger. Plus, I went to college in the Fire Nation before coming back here again. I don’t—shit, did they just start a fire?” 

“Nah, those are just flares. The game’s about to start soon,” Sokka said, as if someone lighting a small fire inside a stadium was perfectly sane and normal. 

Before long, the entire stadium was shrouded in a smoky haze of red, each flare a glowing spark waving back and forth in the crowds. Long banners were rolled down from the upper levels, draping the stands in red and white. The fans had started singing a song—the lyrics declaring their support and loyalty to Ba Sing Se City no matter what—and it seemed like the entire stadium had joined in. A shiver ran down Zuko’s spine at the sound of thousands of people singing in unison— something about all those individual voices coming together as one for that moment was awe inspiring. The song finished, but the chanting and the cheers didn’t let up, a palpable thrill hung in the air as the players made their way onto the field. From somewhere behind their seats, a small explosion sounded and confetti started floating down around them. 

“Holy shit,” Zuko said, voice quiet. 

Somehow, Sokka heard him over the roar. “Yeah,” he said, solemn. “I know.” 

The players lined up to give each other handshakes, but the women in white uniforms milled around for a moment, waving to the crowd and giving the fans applause as a show of gratitude for their support. Sokka elbowed Zuko, pointing them out to him. 

“Look, there they are.”

“Suki?” he asked. 

“She’s wearing number 9, she’s a striker and the captain,” Sokka explained proudly, gesturing towards a player with short auburn hair, wearing a black armband. He turned to Zuko, who was looking back at him with a blank expression. Sokka sighed and rolled his eyes. “Striker is her position, it just means she’s usually leading the attack and the one scoring goals.” 

“Oh,” Zuko said. 

Soon, the players took up their formation on the field, and with a blow of the referee’s whistle, the game was on. The crowd exploded as Ba Sing Se City immediately went on the offensive, quickly moving the ball up the field and making a run for a goal. Not even a minute in, the ball found its way to Suki just outside the penalty box. She struck the ball on a volley, sending it into the top left corner of the goal. The goalkeeper never had a chance, reacting far too late, the ball already having sunk into the back of the net. The stadium erupted, and Sokka joined them, jumping out of his seat and screaming. 

“YEAH! GO CITY!” 

Music blared through the stadium, celebrating the goal. Suki ran to the corner of the field, jumping into the air as her teammates gathered around to embrace her. A voice came on the speakers, announcing Ba Sing Se City FC’s goal with a call that seemed familiar to everyone except Zuko. The crowd yelled Suki’s name in unison as they answered who was responsible for the goal. 

_What the actual fuck have I gotten myself into?_ Zuko thought to himself.

The players finished celebrating and ran back to their formation so that play could restart. 

“Oh man,” Sokka said, settling back into his seat. “That was amazing. Suki’s the league’s top scorer this season.”

“Really?” 

“Oh yeah,” Sokka continued, his eyes on the field as he explained. “You know, ever since Kyoshi got appointed as manager, their 4-3-3 formation has really—”

Zuko tuned him out, having no idea what the fuck he was saying. He heard the faint rumbling of drums, and realized that they were keeping a rhythm going for all the songs the fans were singing. 

“Huh. So that’s what they’re for,” he muttered. 

“What was that?” Sokka asked, eyes still glued to the game. 

“Nothing, just the drums—”

The cheers from the crowd suddenly increased in volume, as a player in white swerved her way through blue shirts. The ball moved with her feet like a wave, unstoppable, bobbing to and fro as she made her way towards the goal. Her long, braided hair swished behind her as she evaded multiple defenders who lunged helplessly at the ball. A few yards outside the penalty box, she looked up and crossed a pass to Suki who was in clear view of the goal. Suki settled the pass then tapped the ball through the goalkeeper’s open legs and into the back of the net. The crowd exploded again. Sokka sprung from his seat again and grabbed the shoulders of the person next to him. They both jumped and screamed like garbled chickenpigs. 

Again, the crowd yelled Suki’s name, and Sokka sat down again. 

“Do you know that guy?” Zuko asked, referring to the person Sokka was jumping with moments earlier. 

“Nope,” Sokka said, concentrating fully on the game again. 

Zuko raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He turned his focus back to the action on the field as the graceful movements of the player who assisted Suki replayed in his head. Their seats were close enough to the field that he could make out details of the players, while still far enough away that he could easily follow the strategy of the game. Suki was the one scoring the goals, but he found himself mesmerized by the player with the long braid. Although he couldn’t make out her name, he could see the large number 10 emblazoned on the back of her shirt. 

Despite many opportunities, the first half went on without any more goals from City. Zuko realized that all the build up to their attacks were through Number 10, who had a penchant for keeping possession of the ball even in the most difficult situations. He watched as she danced through defender after defender. As she moved, her braid twirled wildly, but the ball stayed at her feet while she sought a teammate with the clearest opportunity to score. She had a hand in nearly every shot for the rest of the first half, and Zuko was entranced by her playstyle. (Though he wouldn’t admit to it, the way the white uniform hugged her figure may have played a part as well.)

Despite the early excitement, at half time, the score was tied at 2-2. Though City played hard, there was a reason why they were neck and neck with United for the trophy, as both teams were evenly matched. It made for a thrilling match, even for Zuko.

As the players marched back into the tunnel, Sokka turned to him, looking smug.

“So, are you enjoying the game?” 

“Yeah, it’s… it’s definitely an experience,” Zuko said.

“See! I knew you’d like it,” he replied, clapping him on the back. “Have you got any questions?” 

“Yeah, who’s number 10?” 

“Number 10 for City?” Sokka asked, cocking an eyebrow. Zuko nodded. “That’s Katara,” he said, his tone suggesting that this was something Zuko should have already known. 

“Who’s Katara?” 

“Uh, my _sister?_ ” 

“Your sister _and_ your girlfriend play for the same team?” Zuko asked. 

“Dude, how do you not know this? There’s no way I never mentioned this to you before, that’s how I met Suki! Katara introduced me to her.” 

Truth be told, it was likely that Sokka _had_ in fact told him about that, but sitting next to Sokka at the office meant that Zuko had become very proficient at turning Sokka’s incessant chattering into white noise as he worked. The tips of his ears burned at being caught out. 

“I guess I forgot,” Zuko said, looking away. 

Sokka’s eyes narrowed. “Uh-huh, sure you did. My own best buddy doesn’t listen to a thing I say to him, how disappointing,” he shook his head. 

“I do listen to you!” Zuko threw up his hands. “Sometimes…” he muttered under his breath. 

Sokka looked unimpressed. 

“She’s really good,” Zuko said, trying to smooth things over. 

“She is, she was basically a footballing prodigy,” Sokka said, leaning back into his seat. “Back in our village in the South Pole, there were no teams for girls. Katara had to beg for a chance to practice with the boys at the academy. The youth director over there, Pakku, was a total douche bag, and he let Katara play in a friendly with one of the boys’ teams, thinking she would embarrass herself. In the end, Katara was the one who embarrassed _them,_ ” he explained. 

“They put her in a game with a bunch of boys? What the fuck?” Zuko asked, overtaken with shock. 

“Yep. Told you that dude was a douche. It was crazy, Katara was pretty little at that age too, but she got out without a scratch on her. She was like a…” Sokka paused, his hands waving around as he tried to find the right words. “Like a… slimy eel-snake! Yeah, an eel-snake. She just slipped through all those defenders like nothing.” 

Zuko didn’t know Katara but he doubted she would enjoy being compared to a _slimy eel-snake._ Nonetheless, it was an apt comparison, as he remembered her play style during the game. “I guess she hasn’t changed much in that regard.” 

“Nope, she could probably take on an entire team by herself if she really wanted to,” he snorted. “She’s that stubborn. Anyways, like I said earlier, midfielders like her are rarely made the focal point of a team’s attack these days, but Katara’s just that good of a playmaker. She can pick out a pass like nobody’s business. She and Suki make a great attacking partnership. I think Katara’s assisted more than half of Suki’s goals this season.” 

As usual, Zuko didn’t remember Sokka saying any of that earlier at all, but he just nodded. “Watching her play is…” Zuko trailed off, his brows furrowing. “Like magic, or something.” 

“Wow, look at you, huh? What was it that you said?” he pitched his voice higher as he mocked Zuko’s earlier words, _“Sokka, I don’t give a shit about football—”_

“I do _not_ sound like that—” 

“ _—but your sister plays like maaaagic,”_ he finished, drawing out the last word as he got in Zuko’s face. 

“Oh, shut the fuck up,” he huffed, shoving Sokka off of him. “You’re a dick, I was just being nice, that’s all,” he grumbled, but his face reddened in embarrassment. 

Sokka fell back into his seat, howling with laughter as the players took to the field again.

The referee’s whistle blew again, and the players were off. The atmosphere in the stadium was electric, as both teams were locked in a back and forth. It seemed that every time City lost possession, Katara was there to get the ball back for them, weaving her way through the field, just fast enough to slip out of the grasp of the United defenders. She started counterattack after counterattack, and Zuko kept his eyes glued to her movements. Sokka teased him for it, but there was truly no other way to describe the way she played— it really was magical. It was plain for anyone to see, even Zuko who knew nothing about football, that she was a special player. 

Before long, Zuko looked up at the clock to see how much time was left. He startled at seeing it was already the 89th minute—just one minute left of regular time. The entire second half had passed in the blink of an eye as he focused entirely on just watching Katara, feeling the highs and lows of the game through the fans—the crescendos of cheers every time they got near a goal, the collective oof of disappointment for each shot missed. 

The clock ticked over to 90, and an official on the side held up a placard that indicated that two minutes would be added of stoppage time. 

It was still tied, 2-2. The tension in the air was palpable, everyone on edge to see what the final two minutes would bring. 

A United player broke through the City defense, a lone player in blue among the wall of white. The stadium went silent, as they lined up to take a shot, the ball connecting with the player’s foot, soaring through the air until— 

The crowd cheered as the ball landed safely in the hands of City’s keeper, and she scrambled to find a free defender to start play back up again. The ball was rolled to a free City player, and they immediately started a sprint back to the other end of the field, lightning-fast on the counter, passing the ball along the way to Katara. 

Zuko held his breath. 

Suddenly it seemed as if she was surrounded by blue, every United player descending on her to prevent City from scoring the winning goal. She feinted right and then cut in on her left, leaving players scrambling in her wake. She was a blur of white and red as she drew near the goal. Her braid whipped around her as she spun her head searching for an open teammate to pass it to., None of her teammates were near. With almost no time left on the clock, she took her chance. 

Time seemed frozen, goosebumps erupting all over Zuko’s body as Katara’s foot moved in slow motion, striking the ball, and sending it flying in the air, heading straight for the post. _No,_ he thought to himself, until, impossibly, the ball curved in at the last moment, shaking the net as it landed in the top right corner. 

A wall of sound erupted as everyone in the stadium collectively lost their minds. Zuko shot out of his seat, grabbing Sokka and jumping around. The people around them joined in as they all celebrated City’s victory. 

On the field, Katara’s teammates had piled on top of her while the opposing team’s players stood around, dejected at their loss. On the sidelines, City’s manager was red in the face from screaming at Katara’s last minute winner, fists pumping in the air. 

With that, the referee blew the final whistle, the stadium’s screen changing to reflect the results.

_BSS City 3 - 2 BSS United_

— 

After all was said and done, and the players finished celebrating with the fans who had stayed in the stands, the stadium began emptying out. Sokka sank back down into his seat with a contented sigh. 

“Man, that was intense.” 

“Yeah,” Zuko agreed, thinking back on the pure insanity of the last few minutes of the game “Yeah. That was…”

“... _magic?”_ Sokka supplied, waggling his eyebrows. 

“You’re never gonna let me live that down, are you?” Zuko asked, crossing his arms with a huff. 

“Sorry buddy, couldn’t help myself,” he said, chuckling. “Are you ready to go down to the dressing rooms?” 

“Dressing rooms? For what?” 

“To see Katara and Suki and congratulate them on the win,” he explained, as if it were obvious. 

“Wait, what? We’re—I’m—” Zuko hesitated, panic setting in. As he had watched Katara play, becoming increasingly more captivated with nearly everything about her, it hadn’t occurred to him that he would actually _meet_ the object of his newfound infatuation. 

“You okay there, Zuko?” Sokka asked, peering at him with an air of suspicion.

“Yeah, um. Yeah. I’m fine. Everything’s fine,” he looked away, “I’d love to meet them,” he finished, his voice cracking at the end of his sentence. 

_Please, ground, swallow me up and save me from this misery,_ he thought to himself, thoroughly embarrassed at how awkward he was. 

Mercifully, Sokka said nothing and stood up, motioning for Zuko to follow his lead. They made their way through the stadium, past groups of fans who were still celebrating the win on their way out. Zuko followed him on autopilot, until they were by the dressing rooms, crowded with the team staff, reporters, and stadium workers. Sokka flashed a badge at someone and they were let through, walking in and bumping right into a man with long hair and a moustache. 

“Haru!” Sokka exclaimed. He grabbed his hand and brought him in close, clapping him on the back. “How are you, man?” 

“Hey, Sokka,” Haru turned to Zuko, with a nod, “I’m Haru, City’s social media guy, nice to meet you,” he said, holding a hand out for Zuko to take. He grabbed it and shook it. 

“Zuko, and likewise.”

Haru smiled and turned back to Sokka. “You guys here to see Suki and Katara?” 

“Yeah, I know this is a big win, so the team is probably gonna celebrate, but we just wanted to say hi before we head out.” 

Haru nodded. “I’m actually heading to the dressing room right now to take a team picture for us to post, but I’ll tell them to come meet you out here as soon as we’re finished.” 

“Thanks buddy, I appreciate it, I’ll catch you later!” Sokka said, clapping him on the back again as Haru walked away, waving goodbye. 

“What a game, huh?” Sokka turned to Zuko again. 

“Yep,” Zuko said, trying in vain not to fidget with his hands as they waited for Katara and Suki to appear. Sokka continued talking, but he wasn’t listening. He was nervous, and he didn’t know why. Well, in the back of his mind he _knew_ why, but he realized it was irrational. He didn’t even know Katara, she was just a football player—an insanely talented, prodigious, and maybe somewhat good-looking football player, but that had no bearing on her personality. For all he knew, she was rude and overbearing, or stuck-up, or— 

“—the three points will be a buffer between City and United though, and— _Suki!”_ Sokka yelled, his eyes lighting up as he ran past Zuko with open arms. Zuko turned around to see him enveloping Suki into a hug. Another woman stood behind them with her arms crossed, dressed in the white shorts of the Ba Sing Se City FC uniform, and a black sports bra. _Oh shit._

“Zuko! C’mere!” Sokka called, an arm still around Suki as he waved Zuko over to them. 

He swallowed thickly, his feet like lead as he walked over. 

“Zuko, this is my girlfriend, Suki, and my sister,” he introduced them. “Guys, this is Zuko, the friend from work I’ve told you about.” 

Zuko raised a hand and waved it weakly in greeting. “Uh, hi.” 

“It’s nice to meet you, Zuko,” Suki said, a warm smile on her face and a hand held out for him to shake. “We’ve heard a lot about you.”

“You have?” Zuko asked, taking Suki’s hand briefly. 

“Mhm, Sokka never shuts up about you,” Katara joined in, a smirk on her face. “For a while there, we thought he might have a crush on you.” 

“Hey,” Sokka cut in, “Nothing wrong with a little bromance,” he said, shrugging.

Zuko stood rooted to the ground, unable to say a word. Katara was… not _maybe,_ but definitely good-looking. Gorgeous, even. Her braid hung over her shoulder, and her skin was still damp with sweat, but she was stupidly attractive, with big blue eyes that reminded him of the ocean. 

“I’m Katara, by the way, since my dear brother neglected to mention my name,” she told him, holding her hand out for him to shake as well. Her eyes were playful as she met his gaze. 

He was so, _so_ fucked.

**Author's Note:**

> are you sick of reading about football and want to yell at me? you may harrass me on [tumblr!](https://ladamapintada.tumblr.com/)


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